Herbie ReLoaded
by Twin - Tailed Callie xx
Summary: Calley has lost her Uncle Jim, she's in care and she doesn't know how she'll cope. Everything she knows is practically gone. Can Herbie help her rebuild the past and reshape her future? Or will their lives change way beyond anything they've ever know before...?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, all - I've decide that "Hoshi no Senshi: A New Beginning" is officially on hiatus/hold until I can think of ideas to take it ahead. Until then, I'm gonna try my hand a this - a Herbie story! I had "Herbie Goes Bananas" and "Herbie: Fully Loaded" when I was a kid and I've recently bought the box set with all five of his films. I've also seen the 1997 remake of "The Love Bug" (whoa, Dean Jones got older... XD) and a TV series, "Herbie the Matchmaker" on YT.****... I'm rambling now, aren't I? Well, expect to see some of that later! :D Enjoy! ^^**

* * *

_Why couldn't he hear it?_

_That voice had never failed to reach him. That warm, tender voice that always made his ignition feel sprightly, his mind clear and ready to burn some rubber. The voice that, when he was scared, would cast such a lulling spell over his worries and fears that they would be instantly calmed or would take on an encouraging tone to fire him up for action. He loved to hear that voice._

_More importantly, he loved seeing the man whom it belonged to. The man who had owned him, caressed him and adventured with him for what seemed like an eternity, the man who, after a rocky start, had accepted his quirks and clicked with him like no-one else could. Every morning he'd throw open the garage door, exchange a few kind words and take him for a drive. Then they'd come back, take a leisurely break and go on another drive. That's what they did and he loved it._

_So where was he? And more pressingly, why was there a tarp over him?_

* * *

The black road ran through the fields and trees like a sore thumb. Green crops and luscious leaves skirted either side and flighty birdsong rang pleasantly from the white sky. The asphalt was wet with rain and the fat droplets sat on the impermeable surface like small stones would. Then, a low growl and a streak of silver whizzed by, disrupting the nature around.

A Hyundai 4x4 cruised smoothly along with the driver and front passenger seats occupied. In the driver's seat was a 22 year old girl: her blue eyes were deliberately marked with deep brown eye shadow and heavy mascara and pink lip gloss marked her thin, pursed lips. Her light blonde, shoulder length was tucked behind her ears and perfectly manicured nails in electric pink finished her fingers as they gripped the wheel. She wore a light magenta shirt and a mauve summer skirt with black espadrilles on her feet. Next to her sat a 17 year old with her feet on the dash, arms folded and a sombre, vacant look crossing her jade eyes. Unlike her companion, she didn't need make-up to highlight her striking facial features. Her messy, un-brushed ginger-brown hair hung at her waist and some locks fell over her eyes. A thin white shirt and a blue sports hoodie hung limply over her torso and shoulders whilst a pair of ripped blue jeans and black sneakers clung to her legs and feet.

The ride continued in silence for a long empty moment, the 22 year old occasionally swiping concerned glances at her passenger before focusing on the road again. With good reason too; the 17 year old's uncle had died a month ago and she was still in the beginnings of serious depression. The funeral was last week and she'd been forced to turn up and now, they had just finished reading her uncle's will, to which she was also forced to turn up. But it had been written that he'd left something very special to her at his house so she'd demanded that they go and look. The 22 year old had been asked to take her into care after a suicide attempt had gone wrong and landed her in ER for 3 days. Now, she just fell into long brooding silences which seemed to happen at least 6 times a day. The 22 year old could only hope that the suicide thoughts didn't return.

Soon, the Hyundai pulled swiftly into the estate. At first, it coasted along a gravel path lined with trees before arriving at the front door of a medium sized, red brickwork, 2-floored cottage. The windows and door were lined in white granite and a large garage stood next to the left wall, with its door closed. The two girls stepped out and surveyed the building; even though it was only 6 or 7 years old, it sent chilly vibes through the pair of them. The 17-year-old made a beeline for the garage door with her older cohort right behind her.

"Um, Calley, shouldn't it be, like, more respectful to use the front door?"

"Key's under the flowerpot, Charisma. You use the door."

Calley struggled with the rusted door handle for a few seconds before it finally cracked open, allowing her to grab under the rim of the door and push it upwards. The garage seemed empty; none of her uncle's toolboxes were there and the pictures that used to hang from the wall had been taken down. There were no spanners or wrenches lying on the concrete floor like there used to be, either. Everything seemed bare and misplaced. Calley's heart sunk and her eyes stung.

However, in the middle of the garage, stood a large, rounded shape covered with a grey tarpaulin. Calley's eyes glistened as she circled the shape once, slowly and then came to stand in front of it. Tentatively, she reached out and took the front of the cloth, before whisking it back. Her heart burst right back into life and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as a smile contorted them upward. There, waxed and polished to look brand-new, sat a 1963 pearl-white Volkswagen Beetle with red, white and navy blue racing stripes and a grey 'ragtop' sunroof. The number 53 emblazoned its doors, hood and trunk lid and a black number plate which read 'OFP 857'sat snugly on the bumper.

Her uncle's car! This was her uncle's most treasured possession, his pride and joy. He'd taken her for long, happy drives in this car when she was younger – they'd go to the coast or the country and just drive. Drive long and talk long, as her uncle said. And boy, would they have long talks. Just an uncle and his niece, snuggled together watching the sunset from the Beetle's vantage point on the cliffs or the hills before returning to his home. Also, she'd pretend that the car was alive. She'd talk to it and pet it like a dog and, even though the car never responded to her, her childish fantasies always made her believe the car had heard her. Her uncle also told her bedtime stories about the car to keep these fantasies alive. Whether it be about the car running away from a cruel owner through dimly-lit city streets or falling hood over wheels with a beautiful lady car and constantly trying to win her heart, each and every story was imaginative and passionate. To the girl, this made them more exciting and real than ever. And now... the car was hers and hers alone. The object of all her juvenile hopes and dreams... was hers.

Letting the memories wash her with reminiscence and new-found grief, Calley stroked a finger along the front fender before opening the door and slumping into the driver's seat. The cold leather shocked her skin and gave her goose bumps but she didn't care. Her wet eyes jumped from one gauge to the other all along the dash and back again before brushing her fingers over the wheel. It was only when she scanned the gauges a second time that she noticed the glove box was open and an opened envelope was poking out. Curiously, she took it and pulled out the letter inside, opening it up and reading aloud.

"_My dearest Calley, _

_If you're reading this, I'm either dead or will die sooner or later. I hope this doesn't come as a shock to you but if it does, do not feel guilty about this. I was liable to go in the next few years, wasn't I?"_

"No! No you weren't! You were timeless, ageless. Always full of energy and life. I never imagined you could..."

"_Okay, if everything goes as it's meant to, you should be reading this after my will has been read to you. And if you are, congrats, kiddo – the car is yours. I always said I wouldn't give it away to anyone since it was so important to me but considering how much we loved this car when you were young and now you have your licence... well, I figured it'd be a crime for me not to supply you with your first car."_

Calley place a hand on the wheel again and continued reading.

"_Hopefully with this lil' gift of mine, you and he can go ahead and accomplish great things together. If anything Cal, I want you to remember me by this car and everything I've said about the car. ... Speaking of that, I guess I should come clean about a few things: everything I said about this little car, every story I told about it, every picture I painted in your head. It's all true – this little car really did do all the things I said it did. It really did run away from its cruel owner, it really did fall in love with a lady car and it really did win the El Dorado by splitting in half. Now, I know that may sound crazy –"_

"Too right it does."

"_- but it's all true, all of it. This little car really is something, just as you are. You're something else as well, y'know. And that's why I loved you and always will."_

Another tear fell from Calley's green eyes.

"_Well, I guess I'd better wrap this up before it gets too long-winded. You're the new owner of the car so have a great time with it. I want you to enjoy the car, just as I have. Who knows, you may be able to take him racing one day, huh? Have a great life, Calley. Whatever you wanna do, just floor it and don't back down._

_Forever yours, Uncle James Richard Douglas."_

Calley let out a soft sob before clutching the letter to her chest and lying back in the seat, throwing her sodden gaze to the roof. She still couldn't get her head around the fact that the car was hers but she had also been reminded that her dearest uncle was no longer here. The tightening pains in her heart nearly made it impossible to keep beating regularly so it skipped a few times before trying to settle back into a regular rhythm. Calley then dropped her glance to re-read the letter. When she was done, she noticed a final extract she'd failed to pick up earlier:

"_PS – Please take care of Herbie. Whatever your problems, he'll help you find the answers."_

Calley flicked the tears away and blinked a few times, just to make sure that she'd read it right. Yeah, she had. It definitely read that she had to take care of Herbie. Herbie? Who was Herbie? Unless...

"Yo, Calley! You there?"

Calley could hear Charisma coming down the stairs pretty quickly – best guess was she'd heard her crying again. The teen hurriedly slid the letter back into the glove box and clicked it shut before stepping out and letting the door shut by itself. Wait, itself?

Charisma strode in, unaware of what was happening.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You've been crying again."

"So?" Calley dragged her sleeve across her face once more.

Charisma sighed and was about to walk out when she clapped her eyes on the car. She too, walked around it, checking out the shape and condition before standing next to Calley.

"What's this?"

"A car."

"I know, but... Is this a joke?"

"Why would it be a joke?"

Charisma rolled her eyes. "Your uncle... he could've left ya money or... our own house... Heck, he could've left you with some fancy estate or something. But... he gave you a car."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Doesn't that make you think he didn't care?"

A cord snapped in Calley's head. Her voice grew dark.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, okay! He left you a car, big deal... But, couldn't he have left you... a better car?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't know... like... my Hyundai or something. 'Cause you've gotta admit it: this car is a heap of junk."

Calley's heart was burning. Raging. Her hands were shaking in fists at her sides and her face clouded over.

"Junk?"

"Yeah." Charisma carried on, totally oblivious to Calley beside her. "I mean, like, no offence or anything, but, this is the kind of car an old granny would have. It's small, it's ugly... in short, it sucks."

Calley's eyes grew hot and her voice grew sinister and spiteful.

"Charisma... this was my uncle's car. He left it to me because he knows I'll look after it."

"Either that or he had really bad taste."

"What d'you say?" Calley turned to look at Charisma, who stepped back in surprise and gave a wave of dismissal.

"Geez, Calley – don't your knickers in a twist. It's not worth freaking out over a car. I mean, that's, like, insane! Hello!"

Well! That was that – Calley had had enough. She turned away and stormed over to the driver's side and got in, slamming the door behind her. Charisma came after her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Driving home."

"Uh, no you're not."

"Uh, yes I am." Calley slipped out a key from the glove box and stuck in the ignition. Charisma slapped her hands over the door and leaned into the car like a vulture over meat.

"Listen here, Calley – you get outta this car right now. We agreed that I'd drive you back."

Calley didn't look up. "More like you demanded it."

"Calley..." Charisma's voice grew malicious. "Don't make me mad."

"Or else what?" Calley's eyes danced with hate and she cranked the key around and the engine caught. Rather loudly too and first time. It almost sounded like the car was growling as loud as it could, a deep, throaty sound emanating from the tiny engine. It sounded more like the sound of a Formula 1 Ferrari rather than a '63 Beetle. A sadistic smile played on Calley's lips.

Charisma stood dumbfounded for a few moments before a glaring frown etched into her face.

"Calley, I'll ask you once more: get out of the car."

Calley cupped a hand to her ear. "Sorry, Charis! I can't hear a word you're saying!"

"Get OUT of the car."

"What?"

Charisma snarled in frustration and grabbed the door handle. But the door didn't budge. She tried again. The door stayed firmly shut. She clapped both hands on the handle and pulled hard. Not a chance. She pulled harder then whisked her hand back with a yelp. Calley looked up in curiosity.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Charisma squealed in fright then angrily thrust her hand in front of Calley. One of her manicured nails was broken and chipped. Calley smirked in triumph whilst Charisma shouted profanities at her and stormed off.

Calley smirked again. Sometimes it was just too easy to wind Charisma up. She snuggled more comfortably into the seat and waited until the Hyundai engine purred away. Calley also noted that the engine of the Beetle had settled down into its regular cycle of rumbling and constant puttering. '_Much better. Now let's go,'_ thought Calley as she shifted the car into gear and gently pushed down the accelerator. On command, the Beetle rolled smoothly out of the cold garage into the light of day, crunching the gravel under its tyres. Calley quickly stopped to shut the garage door before continuing onto the tarmac road before her.

She was certainly surprised at how responsive the Beetle was; the start wasn't jerky, the accelerator, clutch and brakes were perfect and the engine sounded beautiful, almost like the sweet song of a bluebird. Everything was calm, collected and under control. With the running of the car deemed okay, Calley could turn her thoughts to other things: where would she go? She had no idea; she just wanted to drive to clear her head from all that happened. The letter, Charisma, Herbie...

Herbie... Who was Herbie? A friend of Uncle Douglas', perhaps? Or a friend of a friend of his? Wait, was it? Or was Uncle Douglas referring to the ... the car? He couldn't have been – that was crazy... But the letter said that all the stories he'd told her were true, that the car really had done all those things he'd spoken of so maybe it was true. Maybe the car was real but her mind wanted to deny it... or was her heart that wanted to deny it?

Calley never found an answer before she saw what was ahead: a gang of teen boys she knew from school. All were about 6ft tall – head and shoulders above her – and were extremely flirtatious. One look at the popular girl would send her heart a-flutter and deliriously in love. Two gave her especially nasty grins as they perched on the roof of their car – a stylish, black BMW M3 Sedan.

"Oh..." Calley slowed to a stop and stared in disbelief. This was the last thing she needed; she'd gone on a drive to clear her head and figure things out, not to run into more trouble. She face planted on the dash as the two boys perched on the Sedan slid off and strutted towards her. _'Please don't let this be happening... yeah, it's happening.'_ Two sharp taps at the window forced her to look up and roll it down.

"Hey, good looking, you heading anywhere?" A black haired boy with dancing brown eye's that could melt a girl's heart leaned in and got way too close to Calley's face to be comfortable. His breath stank of lemonade and cigarettes. Calley stared at her jeans, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Well, I know for a fact I'm not heading to the cemetery anytime soon," she hissed.

The boy stepped back, unimpressed. "Aw, come on doll, we just wanna have fun... Where you headed? Need a lift?"

Calley was cordial but her tone wasn't. "No thank you, I already have a lift."

The boy laughed then leaned back in. "Nice try sweetheart, but I think you'll need us to tow you there, huh?"

"I don't think so, CJ."

"I do."

"You wanna bet?"

CJ smirked. "Wanna race? Our car against yours. The winner's right and the loser is no more than a sore loser. JJ'll drive."

Calley glanced up to the brunette boy who just gave her a vacant glance. She gave a silent sigh; JJ was one of the best drivers she knew – she'd seen him at a go kart race, he'd thrashed everyone – but she'd never seen him drive the BMW before. If he was that good in Mini's version of an F1 car, what would he do in something that could top 126 mph? Was it worth the risk?

"... Okay. Let's do this."

* * *

**...rrrrrRANTING! :D Naw, not really. ^^ But I plan to do a couple of things with this story - kinda like experiments in a way:**

**1: I want to see if I can include references to every single film throughout the story - you can spot a couple in this one! c:**

**2: Try giving characters realistically dark backgrounds: Caitlyn from "Percy: A New Hero" touches on this, but her background, whilst being dark, is riddled with flaws and is fantasy, to say the least... I'll work on that. ^^; Since this story is meant to be more realistic, the background of each character is gonna be realistic too, e.g: Calley's uncle has died so since she was close to him, she's a depressed, confused, nervous wreck. Well, now she is anyway; Herbie's gonna help her get better. X3**

**Please read, review and enjoy! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoo! Chapter 2 up! Here, Calley discovers Herbie is alive and we find out who the real villain is... ;D**

* * *

Calley SO didn't want to be doing this. Here she was, having talked herself into an impromptu street race against the best driver in her school, driving a '63 Beetle that could only just make it up to 60 mph, whilst her opposition saw that speed as child's play. _'Oh... God help me'_, she sighed in her head as her fingers curled around the wheel. The engine growled eagerly behind her and she could hear a soft but competitive little noise ring from the frames of the car itself. Something was definitely up with this car. She didn't know what but whenever she heard that engine purr or snarl, a wave of confidence overcame her. She felt ready to take on the world with this car.

Meanwhile, in the Sedan, JJ sat comfortably in the driver's seat, one hand placed casually on the wheel and eyes cast on the road in front of him. Maybe, he'd go easy on her, trick her into thinking she could win with the Bug, the ease in front and take the race: piece of cake.

The two cars stood next to each other, ready to give off that burst of speed to get the race underway. One of the gang held up the flag. JJ let a small smile curl his lips up. Calley felt her blood run cold.

"3... 2... 1... GO!"

Dust flew and tyres squealed as the two cars set off. The Sedan easily pulled in front but the Beetle was right at its heels, sticking with it. Calley's mouth went dry as she felt the car suddenly throttle up to align itself with the door. She stared dumfounded at JJ when he saw her face. He scowled a little and pulled in front. Calley couldn't see this coming: the Beetle throttled up again, enough this time to make sure that they were level. Level? Level? This was unreal!

JJ's features darkened into a frown and he eased the wheel round to bump the Beetle's wheel arch and send it back by a couple of metres. Calley felt the power of the car falter then settle again. Now she frowned – NO-ONE bumped her uncle's car and got away with it!

"Alright then, you wanna play dirty?" Calley grabbed the gear stick and yanked it back fiercely, flooring the car up to running level again. Sweat from her palms glued her hands to the wheel and her eyes were squinted, fixed to the road. '_Let's finish this,'_ she smirked as she stepped on the accelerator again. The car responded with excitement, scooting in front before the Sedan could touch it again. JJ did a double take – that car hadn't just passed him. It couldn't have! He was performing at a comfortable 140 mph and this Bug was scorching him! He settled deeper into the seat and pushed the Sedan on, drawing level with the Beetle. He and Calley exchanged 'evils' at each other before turning back to the road.

The line drew in sight: The gang was yelling, cheering JJ on. Calley stole a glance: the Sedan eased out in front and the Beetle rose to it, pulling in front by a bumper. JJ glowered and pulled in front again. 10 metres away. '_We're done for,' _groaned Calley as they fell back. The Beetle suddenly burst forward, its engine straining as it overtook completely and won. Won by a whole BMW Sedan's worth of space!

Both cars screeched to a halt. The gang of boys flocked around the Sedan, raising their voices and demanding answers they couldn't get. JJ didn't understand; this car could easily top 120 mph and it'd been wasted. Wasted by a VW Beetle! How? It made no sense. His gaze swivelled to the car in question. '_Seems like she landed herself one heck of a car...'_

The Beetle shuddered and groaned, the engine puttering badly as it desperately tried to cool itself down. The suspension wobbled and the front tyres sagged in exhaustion. In the driver's seat, Calley felt the perspiration roll off her head like water off porcelain as she stared into the foot well, panting in deep long gasps and gripping the wheel as tight as she dared. This was so surreal, she felt like crying again. She had just smoked a BMW M3 Sedan with a '63 Volkswagen Beetle. Or had she? She couldn't tell the difference between reality and the unreal. She unsteadily looked up.

The gang was marching towards her, red faced, shouting and fists were pumping. The 'get the hell outta here' cord snapped in Calley's head and she stuck the car in gear and sped off, hunched over the wheel lie a paranoid psycho killer. She wanted to leave it all behind. Everything. She had rather a lot to think about.

Later that night, as the stars climbed into the sky and black clouds blotted out the moon, most of the suburbs were settled and quiet, the inhabitants sleeping soundly and securely in their homes. One house, however, still had the lights on and heated voices yelled over the top of each other, disturbing the cool silence outside.

"How come you are such a jerk sometimes?"

"You're calling ME a jerk?"

"Yes, I am! You seem to be nothing better, anyway!"

Charisma crashed her hand down on the table. "You got no right to call me a jerk, sister! If anything, you're the jerk around here!"

Calley snarled, "Who was the one called my uncle's car a pile of junk –"

"Oh please!"

"- AND completely disregarded my feelings, not only by saying that the car was junk, but also by saying that we agreed you'd drive me home when we'd never agreed such a thing AND when maybe I wanted some time alone, you have to prowl around in other people's business like a damn FBI detective? Who was the one who did that, Charisma? Tell me that!"

Charisma scoffed and inspected her nails before turning back to glare hard at Calley, who was nearly at breaking point.

"And who's the one acting like an immature little girl that needs to learn how to grow up now that Uncle Jim isn't here anymore, huh? No more Uncle Jim, Calley, just good ol' Charisma here now, so I suggest you DEAL WITH IT."

Calley's tears spilled over as she stood stock still in horror before dashing from the room, tearing a blanket from the airing cupboard and rushing outside, tripping on the stone gravel driveway and falling to her knees. Her jaws locked as she sniffed and let the tears fall. Her arms then awkwardly lowered her to the ground and she lay there, sniffling and sobbing quietly. The cold breeze chilled her skin and made her wrap up tightly. Why her? There were so many other people with more desperate situations than hers so why her? Why did it have to be her heart breaking, her disasters piling up? Why hers? It wasn't fair... Why didn't that suicide attempt work?

Calley lay sprawled out on the gravel for what seemed an eternity – passersby would've thought she was dead. She didn't care about the cold and she didn't care about the bruises and small cuts on her arm or legs. She didn't care about the goose bumps on her skin or the tears that streamed down her face. Her heart was near to breaking point and she didn't know how long she would last. She felt completely, hopelessly miserable. There wasn't even a word to describe it, she felt so low.

She abruptly scrabbled to her feet and threw the blanket over her. Her wild eyes scanned for a safer place to sleep and her teeth were grinding each other down in her sudden, frightened state. Then, she saw the Beetle parked outside the garage. Her uncle's most prized possession... the last of what remained of him. Calley stumbled to the door and fumbled it open, collapsing in a sob across the front seats. She snivelled loudly and hugged the blanket to her chin as she felt the car's door gently click shut. A deathly shiver coursed through her, chilling her spine and prompting another sob to escape her lips. She then heard some clacking sounds on the dash, followed by a soft warm rush of air blowing in her face. It stung at first, but after a while she became accustomed to it and sat up properly in the driver's seat. The whole car now felt warm and inviting. Calley pulled the back of her hand across her face and sniffed.

"Thanks..."

'_Wait, did I just say 'thanks' to a car? What's with me?'_ Calley's thoughts were interrupted by the car seeming to dip down on its front suspension and the metal sighing. Her eyes popped slightly.

"... He... Hello?"

The car gave a questioning squeak back to her. Calley had to clap her hands on her mouth to stop her screaming. Was the car possessed? No... Calley lowered her hands and shakily placed them in her lap.

"Her-Herbie?"

The car gave a small, happy whine and bounced on its front wheels. Calley grasped the steering wheel as she was thrown forward, nearly hitting the dash with her head. The car immediately stopped, waiting for a response and feeling a little sorry as he'd nearly hurt his new owner. The breath Calley took burned her lungs.

"So... you... you are Herbie?"

The car dipped again, like he was nodding.

"And... you are alive?"

Another dip. Calley's voice grew soft but confident.

"Okay... that's that then." She suddenly slumped back. "Great. I have a possessed car that – "

She stopped, instantly hating herself for berating her uncle's car after he'd passed it to her on the basis that she looked after him. She took the note out from the glove box again and opened it up.

"You... You might want to listen to this, He-Herbie."

Calley read the note out slowly and steadily, her voice faltering every so often as the morning flooded back. She felt the frames of the car sigh and then run cold - she hesitated for a fraction of a second before carrying on. When she'd finished, she folded up the note and clicked the glove box shut before resting her head on her arms on the wheel. The car then did something she didn't expected: he gave a soft, mournful beep as his windscreen washers started up, spraying water on his windscreen. The wipers then dragged themselves across the glass, squeaking as they did, and the car sagged down until its bumper touched the gravel beneath it. A number of these wailing beeps brought a stunned Calley out of her trance. Was Herbie crying? A car... crying?

Flustered, Calley took a different approach to what she'd normally do: she stroked the car's dash and her eyes stung as she spoke.

"H-Hey Herbie... shh, shh, it's okay, Herbie... I know how you feel..." A tear spilled down her face but she didn't care. "Easy Herbie... shh... don't cry, Herbie. It's okay... hush, Herbie, hush..."

Eventually, she was able to calm Herbie down. An uncomfortable silence passed between them before Calley decided to tell Herbie about the times they'd had with her Uncle Jim and how he was the best uncle and owner a niece and car could ever hope to have. This talk soothed both girl and machine and coaxed a bond to develop between the two. Calley then told Herbie how she'd loved him as a child and dreamed he was alive, only making the small spark of hope they had grow stronger. As Calley began to feel better about herself, she slowly became more talkative and, in turn, Herbie became more responsive, squeaking here or sighing there and dipping or rising on his suspension.

Finally, midnight drew nearer and Calley and Herbie became drowsy with sleep. Calley wrapped the blanket around her and snuggled sideways into the seat. Her voice was slurred as she spoke for the final time in the conversation:

"Y'know, Herbie? I loved you as a kid and now isn't any different. I still love you. You meant everything to me then and no doubt you meant something to Uncle Jim too. I'm sure he was a fantastic owner to you, so I hope I can follow on in his stead. Hopefully, we can help each other, Herbie, I dunno. But hopefully we can. I'll be there for you and you could be there for me; I really need someone Herbie – human or car, I need someone to talk to, to share my troubles with. And we're kind of in the same rough patch at the moment so we can help each other out of this, with a little luck." Her eyelids drooped.

"And y'know what, Herbie? If I could, I'd keep you forever. You're all I have to remind me of Uncle Jim: I've got you and stories and you've got memories. Right now, you mean more to me than anything on this earth – heck, you're even worth more to me than my own life is right now. I'll never leave you Herbie, okay? I'll never leave..."

Calley couldn't finish the sentence; comforting drowsiness had carried her away to the first peaceful, fulfilled sleep she'd had for over a month.

* * *

**Well, there we go. Like I said last chapter, I want to incorporate events or references to all the Herbie films and Herbie the Matchmaker - only done through actions here but hey, maybe I'll be more successful next chapter. Please review and enjoy! ^^**

**PS - Who do you think is the villain out of CJ, JJ or Charisma? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here we are - another chapter. I hope this one's good. Next one is sure to crop up soon. Enjoy! ^^**

* * *

The morning light swam in the room and a soft breeze blew. Charisma stood in front of the mirror, perfecting her hair then applying her usual amount of heavy make-up, batting her eyes and smooching to make sure it was okay. She then ran her fingers through her hair once more before walking to Calley's bedroom door. She rapped on the wood four clear times.

"Hey Calley, wake up, girl."

No response. Charisma knocked again, bemused.

"Calley?"

Again, nothing. Charisma shrugged; she knew Calley could be a heavy sleeper at times. As she strode to the top of the stairs, she saw the opened airing cupboard and a couple of blankets which had corners pulled out. That made her mind tick: had Calley run off again? Panicking, Charisma darted down the stairs and out the door.

"Calley? Calley, where are you?"

Charisma's eyes zipped here and there. Finally she turned and saw the Beetle. Calley couldn't have run off without taking the Bug, surely... Charisma headed towards the car, hoping that Calley would be inside.

Herbie had been startled a little bit by the front door banging open; he opened a headlight and saw Charisma calling. A twinge of anger flared in him as he'd remembered what she'd called him and hadn't forgiven her but he'd guessed that she was in charge of Calley's safety and, considering what she'd said to him last night, he'd better wake her up. Herbie rocked smoothly, stirring Calley as gently as he could. Then, he stood stock still.

The teen grumbled and stretched with a yawn and sat up in the driver's seat to see Charisma walking over. She rubbed her eyes and felt for the door handle. Herbie opened the door for her but Calley had no time to thank him before Charisma pulled her out and kicked the door shut. Herbie winced, then growled – he didn't like this one at all. Not one bit.

"Oh my god, Calley, are you okay?"

"Charisma, I'm – "

"Why d'you run out here? You got me all panicked that you'd, like, run off or something."

"Charis, I'm okay. Calm down, okay? Just chill."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, sure."

The two faced each other for a moment. Calley stared at Charisma, who scrutinised her with a piercing look that would probably scare a small child back home. Calley flicked an eyebrow at her and Charisma sighed.

"Okay. Just don't do that again, 'kay?"

"'Kay."

Charisma pulled Calley into a hug, squeezing her so tightly that Calley thought her head would pop off like a champagne cork. She stood patiently and rolled her eyes as Charisma set about fussing over her, throwing the blanket on the gravel and patting her down as if she were covered in dust. This went on for 5 minutes before Charisma finally said:

"You hungry?"

Calley folded her arms and gave a smirk. "Gee, you think?"

"Well, come on doll! Don't just stand there, let's go in," Charisma turned and led Calley inside, who just had time to shrug at Herbie in apology before the door clunked shut. Herbie pulled his front tyres out in a shrug before sighing and sagging to the ground again. He thought it would be tough to be Calley; he was only glad he wasn't the one who was being berated then instantly molly-coddled at every glance. But then again, he did feel sorry for her somewhat.

After some breakfast, fresh clothes and a clear head, Calley felt a bit more positive. She then headed back outside to see Herbie, who perked up when he saw her. Calley gave a contented sigh and set herself on Herbie's hood, tracing the 53 with her finger. Her thoughts suddenly went back to something: how did Herbie win over JJ's Sedan? It still seemed so crazy to her. She turned back to the car.

"How, Herbie? How'd you win over that Sedan?"

Herbie looked up and squeaked at her.

"Oh boy, this is going to be difficult..." Calley commented in a long sigh. "I've been thinking, see... I'm not doubting you or anything, but how can a car that has trouble doing 60 whoop something that does twice that and more? It doesn't make sense."

Herbie revved his engine in indignation and Calley patted his fender.

"Hey easy, Herbie! I'm not insulting you, I just said that." Calley crouched down in front of him. "Look, it just seems... I dunno... unheard of. It's the sort of trick a one-of-a-kind car would pull. But then again, you are a one-of-a-kind car."

Herbie wriggled in happiness at the compliment. Calley smiled then sat on his hood again, feeling the wind flick her hair back and hearing it rustle through the trees. She felt more than contented, now that she thought about it – she felt satisfied. Satisfied that this was the most peaceful she'd felt for over a month. Maybe things would look up after all...

Harsh tyre squealing shattered her peaceful thinking as both Calley and Herbie saw a bright red Triumph Spitfire Mk. 4 charge along the roads and shudder to a stop on the gravel. _'What's going on?'_ Calley wondered as she stepped off of Herbie to find CJ jump out, slam the Spitfire's door and march towards her.

"Calley Stancheck! You've got some explaining to do!"

Calley felt her heart and stomach plummet. Herbie went cold.

"What have you done to that car?"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's no way – absolutely NO way at all - that a Volkswagen Bug has the performance or the horsepower to smoke a BMW M3 Sedan. Now, I don't know what you've done to this car, but I'm gonna find out. So, you mind giving me some answers?"

"CJ, I haven't done anything to this car. What happened yesterday was crazy, I'll admit it, but I had no part in it, apart from racing."

"Likely story," CJ fumed. "No, you've meddled with this car and tarnished our reputation of being the fastest drivers at Western Medley High. I'm gonna find out what you've done to this car even if I have to tear it apart!"

"Aww, who has an ego problem? And if you so much as lay a finger on my car -"

"Hey, what's going on?"

Both teens turned to see Charisma walk out to see what the commotion was all about.

"You get back in the house, lady – this doesn't concern you," CJ snarled.

Charisma chuckled. "C'mon, sport – why don't you join me?"

"Nice try, but I have other things to worry about."

"Aww, c'mon – don't give a girl the cold shoulder, babe."

CJ stormed over to Charisma and hissed right in her face.

"Listen girl, I ain't interested in your prissy advances, okay? In any case, you need some work. Besides, I wanna figure out how that Bug works, so you just back off, got it? Or is that failing to get through your thick head?"

"Ooh..." Calley sucked air in through her teeth at that remark – this was gonna end in tears.

Next thing she knew, CJ was writhing on the gravel with a pouring nosebleed and Charisma stood over him with her fist raised to slug him again. She glared at him.

"Get off my property, punk. NOW!"

CJ scrabbled to his feet and drove off before you could make yourself an espresso. Charisma stomped after him.

"Yeah, get outta here! And swivel on it!" she yelled, flipping one off at him before coming back to Calley, huffing in anger.

"Go Charisma!" Calley remarked in approval.

"I need a shower now."

Calley burst into hysterics at that point. She collapsed onto Herbie's hood and lay there laughing for a minute or so. Herbie giggled underneath her, his frames shaking and his engine purring. Calley finally stood up and took a few breaths to calm her down.

"Oh boy, that was fun... We'll go on a drive later, okay Herbie?"

Herbie nodded, showing his approval by bouncing on his tyres and wriggling. Calley tittered and went back inside, leaving Herbie to settle himself down then drift off into a doze.

"Don't you see it? She's a freak and so is that car!"

"Chill out, CJ – you don't want that nosebleed to come back, do you?"

CJ grumbled, leaning against the wall of his garage with JJ standing in front of him. CJ also held a large wad of tissue paper against his nose with his head down. He'd been trying to make JJ see that Calley and Herbie had cheated in that race somehow and that revenge was needed. That or they could steal Herbie and tear him apart to see how he worked. Whilst JJ was curious about how Herbie had managed to win, he didn't want to go as far as cutting him up or stealing him at all. To make CJ even more riled, JJ wasn't even concerned that their reputation had been tarnished – it was almost like he wanted Calley to beat him.

"I thought so," JJ said flatly when CJ didn't answer.

"Your problem is you ain't got pride."

"Really? Is this what it comes down to? A sense of pride?" JJ couldn't quite get it. "What is it about that car that winds you up so much? It's nothing, okay? So what if we got beaten by a VW Bug, so what? Just let it go, okay?"

CJ felt his skin flush with anger. "Let it go. 'Let it go?' You are asking me – to let it go?"

"Yeah – no point crying over spilt milk."

"The damn milk wasn't meant to be damn spilt! The damn car shouldn't have beat you – why can you not see that? Are you thick or something?"

"No... I'm just not an attention hog like you."

"You're calling me an attention hog?"

"Absolutely."

CJ stood still for a moment, trying to make sense over what his brother was saying. He finally managed to grumble out:

"Don't you enjoy it – the thrill, the drama – heh, the chicks – don't you enjoy that?"

"No – I'm in it for the passion. You've gotta love driving if you want to race – you've gotta feel the power behind the wheel You gotta feel the energy in the car."

"Oh please, don't make me laugh."

"You have. Otherwise you're no better than an amateur." JJ then strode over to the Sedan, got in and turned the engine over. CJ looked round.

"Where're you going?"

"Outta here." JJ looked up with deadly seriousness clear in his eyes. "I'm not going to be driving with you if you just want attention, that's not how I roll."

"You what? C'mon JJ, you aren't serious -"

"I am. I've had enough. All this time, we've been soaking up the limelight, craving attention from girls and fans. And I can't stand the way you rub your face in it. That car made me realize something: either drive for love or don't drive at all. I've made up my mind, what about yours?"

CJ watched as JJ drove the Sedan away into the street to line up with the house before calling back to him:

"And by the way – it ain't JJ Falcon anymore, it's Jeremy Falcon, like it ought to be!"

With that said, the Sedan powered away, tyres screaming and engine roaring into the distance. CJ stood dumbfounded for a second before growling to himself as he stomped back to the garage. _'Well, fine!' _he thought. _'If JJ's gonna go then he can just as well go – I don't need that loser! I can do just fine without him. And I'll get that car too. ...Yeah. I'll get it. Somehow. Watch out, Calley Stancheck. You'll pay for this... in more ways than one...'_

* * *

**Okay, seems like CJ is a butthurt crybaby... There's a reference to '_Herbie Goes Bananas'_ in there too. Comedy on Charisma's part too - I loved writing that! XD Am I getting Herbie's mannerisms okay? I ask as I want him to be a mix of, in Michelle Lee's words: the kid who wants to be adopted and, in my own: proud of who he is. Not smug, just modestly proud. How'd you like that oxymoron? XD Please keep reviewing so I can make Chapter 4 even better - thanks for reading! :)**_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry I've been away for such a long time - A - levels tend to make you lack in attention. ^^; Try not to worry; after finally getting off my fat ass, I read the reviews and people were eager for me to post Chapter 4. So I got off my ass again and posted it. Again, I'm so sorry for the delay! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The sky was white with a touch of overcast clouds mixing with the blank colour. Calley wasn't able to tell if it would rain or not as she and Herbie smoothly cruised through the streets around her neighbourhood. The trees only added a meagre speck of life to the otherwise dull, boring roads and houses. Everywhere was quiet too – no kids were playing outside, no ordinary folk were out walking their dogs along the sidewalk or bantering over anything that concerned them and no wind breezed through the avenue.

Calley found it all a little eerie; usually, the estate was full of noise and colour. She wasn't used to everything being so... lifeless. Lifeless...

Herbie was nervous too – he was used to Jim Douglas making conversation and hearing a constant, warm babble behind the wheel. Now, everything seemed alien without him. He still hurt too. Ever since Calley told him that Jim was gone, Herbie felt like a little hole was gnawing away inside him, gradually getting bigger. He was doing his best to live through it but it wasn't easy. At least he had Calley and at least they could live through it together.

"Oh Herbie..." Calley sighed heftily. She just didn't understand anything anymore. It was all just a jumbled, tangled mess of thoughts clumped together. Herbie groaned softly; he completely understood how it felt for thoughts to feel like a pulsing tumour on someone's conscience.

BANG! Something exploded beside them. Herbie went berserk, rearing up in a hasty wheelie and dashing off, with engine screaming and smoke billowing. Calley grasped the wheel and tried to stop the sudden frightened rampage.

"Herbie! Herbie!" Calley felt her lungs deflate sharply and her heart pound so hard she thought her ribcage couldn't take it. "Herbie, slow down! Wait!"

Herbie swerved wildly and his tyres screeched as Calley fought with the brakes. But he was totally overcome with fear – he could barely feel her wrestling at the gears, clutch and everything else she could find to make him stop.

Calley finally managed to bring Herbie under control and slow him to a stop by the side of the road. She collapsed back into the seat with her hand on her head, panting hard and sweat sticking her hair to the back of her neck. Herbie shook violently and sagged on the suspension – he felt very grateful that his engine was air-cooled or something worse could've happened. He tried to calm himself as his mind immediately went out for Calley, hoping she was okay. Why did he have to be so reckless like that?

Calley's head turned shakily as the window was tapped. Her blood ran icy cold and her heart stopped then sank. A man in black uniform rapped on the glass again. She twisted round, spotting the red and blue lights behind her swirling and flashing. After a while, she wound the window down.

"'Ullo, miss."

"H-Hi."

"You, er – were going a tad fast, weren't you?"

"Something happened."

"I'll bet it did."

"No, n-no, you d-don't understand – "

The officer motioned for her to explain. Calley took two raspy breaths.

"I – I was just d-driving along, s-see? And – well, something exploded be-behind me. I-I got startled and I... I'm so sorry, I just didn't think."

"Too right you didn't think, sweetheart. Let's see your licence."

"Hu-Huh?"

"I said, let's see your licence."

Calley's blood temperature dropped another couple of degrees. She felt like lead as she fumbled into her back pocket for her licence card and gave it to the officer. He inspected it closely, his eyebrows making his eyes seem like beady black dots as they furrowed together. He turned to look at Calley then back at the licence a few times before asking her:

"How old are you, miss?"

"17. 17 and a quarter, to be precise."

The officer handed it back and eyed her suspiciously. Calley didn't like this – she desperately hoped he didn't say what she thought he would.

"I'm going to have to ask you to come with me please, miss."

"Where?" She cursed herself for being so pedantic.

"The candy store. Where d'ya think?" The officer tried to pull open the door but it stayed firmly shut. He tried again. Nothing. Calley felt that glance burn into her. Her veins had turned to ice.

'_Herbie, please. Not now!'_

Herbie felt Calley's fear and obediently opened the door. He watched from the rear view mirror as Calley was escorted to the black and white police car behind him and driven away. He felt upset but it quickly turned to frustration. Annoyance. Anger. How dare that guy take Calley away like that, how dare he! It wasn't fair – she hadn't done anything. It was him, he'd completely over-reacted. It was his fault. Herbie squirmed in his guilt. He felt terrible for dropping Calley into this situation – he also felt that he was now responsible to put it right. He had to help her. After all, they'd agreed to look out for each other.

Herbie saw the car drive out of sight and determination swelled in his tiny engine as he started himself, turned round and headed off after the police car. He'd help her; he'd stick right by her. He'd save her.

"What the hell do you mean 'you can't help me'?!"

Calley was screaming down the phone in outrage. She'd arrived at the station and was accused of speeding and reckless driving. She'd gotten off lightly and a fine of $200 was required. The cops had asked for her parents' numbers and she said that her parents had split up and that she was in care. They'd then asked for her carer's number and passed her the phone after a few minutes. At the rate she was going, Calley would have to pay for property damage too.

"I mean, I can't help you," Charisma buzzed over the static. "I'm late."

"For what? What could possibly be more important than helping me out of this goddamn mess?!"

"My manicure appointment, of course. It's gonna cost, like, $500."

Calley felt her heart drop, her brows furrow and her teeth grind. Her knuckles cracked around the plastic payphone.

"A manicure...? A goddamn, fu – What in the name of everything sane is WRONG WITH YOU?! You'd rather go to your precious little manicure than help to bail me out of jail? Why do I have such a mindless, senseless, prissy old HAG of a carer?!"

"Suck it up, bitch, you've got no-one else and just pay for it yourself!"

A raging grin spilt Calley's face like a walnut shell under a nutcracker.

"Yes, you are all I have because my mother's a dithering alcoholic, my father's either eloped or doing time and my uncle is goddamn dead. And did I also mention you work as a secretary for a telecommunications company? No, which begs the question as to why you'd rather go for a flaming manicure quite comfortably instead of, let's see, send me to school, bail me out of prison or even put food on the goddamn table?! Besides you never give me money to pay for anything," she added in a hot whisper.

"You're on your own, Calley. Bye." _Click. Booooop, booooop..._

Now Calley was in trouble...

* * *

'_Gee, sure is quiet around here,' _JJ mused to himself as he cruised around. He too had noticed how grey and mundane everything seemed and, while it didn't seem eerie in his mind, it did seem peculiar. The Sedan responded quietly and willingly as he rounded the corner into one of the quieter roads leading out of town. JJ sighed and shook his head before focusing on the road once more. Then, out of the blue, something whizzed by, shaking the BMW with some considerable force – JJ recognized the car as the Beetle that won in the street race yesterday. Without hesitating, the teen swung his car around and gave chase, soon being able to pull the car over whilst he parked the Sedan in a nearby car park. '_Rotten crazy driver... has Calley gone nuts or something?'_

Herbie screeched up the road as fast as he dared, desperately hoping that Calley wasn't in too much trouble. They'd promised to stick out for each other through thick and thin and the little car wasn't about to back down on this promise. Calley, despite her fragility, was a kind and spirited driver; thoroughly reminding him of Jim Douglas when they'd first met. Suddenly, almost too late, Herbie saw a car cruising right towards him and realized that because he was in such a hurry, he was on the wrong side of the road! Paint was nearly traded as he swerved to avoid the oncoming vehicle and when he realized the car was following him, poor Herbie nearly bounced off the kerb in a flustered attempt to stop. His frames shook again as he tried to cool his hot engine; he shook even more when he saw the driver of the car walk towards him. He needed to calm down, stop being so jumpy. Everything was too fast for Herbie: too new, too hasty, and too confusing. In that single, frightened instant before he froze, Herbie wished more than ever that Jim Douglas' lullaby voice was there to console him.

JJ inspected the car all over; it was in good shape. The tyres were fine, no damage had been done to the bodywork of the Beetle but two things concerned him: the engine was very warm, much warmer than it should have been for a '63 Bug travelling at 60mph – he thought a regular servicing would fix that easily – and the driver's seat was vacant. Wait, vacant? JJ shut his eyes and turned his head away, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning back to look. No, he was not seeing things. This car had nearly just clipped him with no driver in the seat.

He was stunned – there was not another word for it: stunned. JJ also saw that there was no radio-controlling equipment rigged to, inside or under the car, eliminating the only reasonable idea he had as to why the car could drive itself. This was just... completely insane. JJ stepped back from the car and simply stared at it, dumbfounded, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"How in the name of sanity do you work?" he asked himself.

Raised voices turned the attention to the building on the other side of the road: the police station. JJ turned his head at the noise – a fierce argument was brewing and JJ instantly knew one of the voices was Calley. Herbie heard the voices too and, as this human walked away across the tarmac, he could hear the heat from the shouts and protests billow into the air, making the whole atmosphere seem stormy and electric. Why couldn't everything just be simple and silent for once? Why?

"Oh come on! Please, this isn't fair at all!"

"Never mind 'fair' sweetheart, we have the legal power to do this."

Calley drew her fingers across her head and dug her thumb into her temple, propping her elbow on the counter in the small, dank reception area. She was near to totally losing it; after the call with Charisma, Calley had said to the receptionist that her carer was, in simple and polite terms, unwilling to pay the fine. As a response, the receptionist had stated that she had to sign a ticket and, since Calley was so young, if the $200 wasn't paid in the next 24 hours, she would have to appear in court. Now, Calley was frantically trying to save her bacon.

"Can't you do something? C-Call up my carer yourself, or – or – o-or even lower the fine a touch?! Then I may be able to pay!"

The receptionist, a wasted and tanned stick woman in her late forties, sorted some files and leant patronisingly over the desk. "And what do you suggest then, darlin'? $20? $2? Not very likely."

Calley sank into a chair in defeat. She was done for now. Totally and absolutely done for. She just wanted to cry. Why couldn't everything just be simple and silent for once? Why?

"Anything wrong in here?"

Both heads looked up at the sound of the voice: JJ strode casually in, his voice gentle, dissipating the entire atmosphere and melting it away. Calley got up and nervously but gratefully shuffled over to his side whilst the receptionist explained what happened. JJ nodded on occasion to show he understood and after all was out in the open, he smiled. Calley felt her feet inching her body closer to him.

"Don't worry, ladies: I think I can help you here."

* * *

"Oh JJ, you have no idea how much I owe you."

"Please Calley, it's perfectly fine – you don't owe me anything."

Calley snorted. "Yes I do – wake up, JJ. It's not every day a boy just randomly decides to throw a cheque for $200 dollars at you."

JJ shook his head again, patiently. "Calley. I'm honest here, you don't have to do anything for me and you don't owe me anything. OK?"

Calley nodded but her knees knocked together from the relief. A shiver ran through her body – the sky had become greyer and darker, with smoky black clouds looming overhead and she'd forgotten how chilly it had gotten. Just then, Her phone buzzed in her pocket, prompting her to take it out and press the answer button.

"Sorry, JJ – hello?"

"_Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Calley, where the hell are you?! I've been so worried!"_

"Charis, sl – slow down, will ya? Geez, I'm barely out of town and you go biting my head off about where I am. Just chill."

"_It's getting late out – you should come home. I would come and get you but I don't know where you are and my car's – Oh. My. God. You have to listen to this, right? I was coming back from my manicure, and this little road-hog jerk on a motorcycle? He totally scratched my car. He made a scratch. On. My. Car! I do not believe it – Can you believe it? What kind of douche bag would make a scratch on MY car? Totally stupid, I know, right?"_

Calley clicked the cell phone shut and mentally cursed herself for listening to Charisma rant. She also gave herself a reminder to beat Charisma down into the floor for not bailing her out before turning apologetically to JJ.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine, fine."

"...Well, I guess I'd better get going, JJ."

"Okay." JJ turned towards his Sedan and watched Calley walk carefully towards the Beetle. His mind said she would be okay but his heart didn't.

"Hey, Calley!"

She looked back.

"If you, uh... need anything... let me know, 'kay?"

Calley felt a strange sensation in her chest, almost a fluttering before nodding and climbing into her car. Herbie clicked on the heat as soon as she sat down and, as she watched the Sedan pull away, she couldn't help but wonder. What did she feel just now? Security? Compassion? Or was it something more, some thing like... friendship? Herbie crooned at her.

"Herbie... I think something wonderful is happening..."

Herbie's crooning lowered a key and his headlights seemed to lower like eyelids. He then twisted up the front bumper in a smile and shook himself gently, but very suggestively. He kept up that soft, low crooning and eventually, Calley caught on.

"Herbie... just - no. I'm not even gonna answer that. No."

The Beetle giggled childishly to himself as Calley started him up and the two set off for home.

* * *

**Welp, there we go - there's Chapter 4. I hope it satisfies the needs of the hungry readers and reviewers out there. *giggle* I'll try my hardest to get on here a little more often if I can. Oh, I also discovered a while ago that I'd been on FanFiction for a little over a year or two now. Go me. ^^**


End file.
